The Great Pottery Throw Down - General Discussion

[GaT]

Sad to see Nigel go, I liked him.

I'm a bit baffled by the use of "Can't Explain" by The Who as the theme song, & what I think are early 70s songs throughout the show. Just seems to be an odd choice to me, & I don't see how it has anything to do with the show.

I'm still amazed at how hard this all is, & how long it takes to do the challenges. I'm impressed by all of it, even the cracked ones.

[GaT]

Who knew pottery making was so dangerous? I can't say I loved the way raku looks, it actually looks kind of dull to me, & I wish they had shown us the pots from the spot challenge after they had been fired.

On 11/19/2015 at 8:41 PM, bybrandy said:

Those three guys though, Tom, Matthew and Jim seem just miles ahead of the rest.   

I agree, in fact, I think that maybe they're a little too much ahead of the rest. The competition would be more interesting if it seemed like the others had more of a chance.

I find Keith bursting into tears all the time a bit bizarre.

I'm still baffled by the musical choices, I was able to identify "Strange Brew" by Cream, & "Cool Jerk" by The Capitols, both songs from the mid 60s, & have absolutely no idea why they chose to use them.

[GaT]

I have no idea what the difference between a plate & a dish is, I always thought they were the same thing. I wish they had explained it.

This is clearly the Matthew, Jim, & Tom show. It's kind of annoying to have the same people at the top every week.

Keith crying over Matthew's extremely (IMO) ugly garden sculpture was ridiculous.

[GaT]

On 12/11/2015 at 7:04 AM, DallasGypsy said:

What bothered me, though, was the hostess of the show, Sara Cox.  She just couldn't leave the potters alone to do their work.  They showed remarkable restraint in not telling her to zip it and get out of their faces.

This has been bothering me the entire series, in one episode she walked up behind Jim & put her hand on his arm & he was painting something at the time. I would have turned around & slugged her.

I was really rooting for Jim to win, Matthew seems a bit too smug & pretentious to me.

It was nice how everyone jumped in to help Sally Jo glaze her tea set when she was running out of time.

On to series 2!

[GaT]

I really like this show, too bad this is the final season. I'm hoping that the contestants are more evenly talented than last season.

On 2/5/2017 at 3:45 AM, Corgi-ears said:

That's my last nerve you're stepping on, Cait. (Coit?)

I was really hoping she would be the one eliminated, I do not like her at all, she's really annoying. Not surprised Carole was eliminated though, I don't understand how anyone would come on this show so lacking in a basic skill, she had to know she was going to be wheel work, why didn't she practice?

Still with the 60s music.

[GaT]

Why won't they eliminate Cáit?????? She's so annoying. James' style didn't appeal to me at all, but I rather have him still competing than Cáit.

[GaT]

This competition is so hard! The level of skill required is so far beyond any other reality competition show I've ever heard of, I'm amazed at what these people can do. 

I don't remember it ever being mentioned, do they get notice of what the main challenge is going to be beforehand? It seems like they must, I don't know how else they would have time to plan everything, plus, Richard had those stamps he made, I don't think he whipped them up there.

Also, do they get to keep what they make? I would think that Cáit would want her sculpture if it's got her dog's ashes in it.

Sorry to see Elaine go, she had a lot of talent.

[Athena]

57 minutes ago, GaT said:

This competition is so hard! The level of skill required is so far beyond any other reality competition show I've ever heard of, I'm amazed at what these people can do. 

I don't remember it ever being mentioned, do they get notice of what the main challenge is going to be beforehand? It seems like they must, I don't know how else they would have time to plan everything, plus, Richard had those stamps he made, I don't think he whipped them up there.

Also, do they get to keep what they make? I would think that Cáit would want her sculpture if it's got her dog's ashes in it.

The show is amazing and I really hope it gets a home somewhere for its third season. Like Bake Off, a lot of the contestants keep in touch as friends and often meet up at craft and pottery events in the UK.

I am pretty sure that the contestants know the main challenge before hand similar to how Bake Off contestants know about the Signature and Showstoppers. There is no indication that they don't get to keep what they make.

[GaT]

OK, before I say anything else, WHAT was that dress that Kate was wearing? At first I thought it was a raincoat, or some kind of pottery smock, but no, it was an actual, seriously weird looking dress.

So glad Cáit is finally gone, I've been wanting her gone since the first episode. Too bad about Nam. 

It nice that Clover finally was good enough to win something, but I hope she doesn't win the whole thing. It doesn't seem fair that she should win it all if she wasn't good enough to win anything almost the entire competition. Ryan, Richard, & Freya have won more & been rated higher than Clover most of the time. I'll be OK with one of them winning.

[GaT]

TOILETS????? That's insane, I can't even imagine what they're going to have to make in the final.

Freya glazing looked awful I thought, the bottom looked like cut up flesh, it looked nothing like her drawings.

I think it's Ryan for the win also.

[GaT]

I thought the final challenge would be a lot harder, but I guess working in porcelain was what made it hard. No surprise as to Ryan winning, but they seriously need a better winners trophy. The glazing on it is not pretty. 

[Ceindreadh]

On 8/31/2018 at 10:00 PM, Athena said:

The show is amazing and I really hope it gets a home somewhere for its third season. Like Bake Off, a lot of the contestants keep in touch as friends and often meet up at craft and pottery events in the UK.

I am pretty sure that the contestants know the main challenge before hand similar to how Bake Off contestants know about the Signature and Showstoppers. There is no indication that they don't get to keep what they make.

Looks like Channel 4 in the UK have picked this up. During the credits for bake off professionals they ran an ad looking for contestants to take part. 

[Athena]

1 hour ago, Ceindreadh said:

Looks like Channel 4 in the UK have picked this up. During the credits for bake off professionals they ran an ad looking for contestants to take part. 

Confirmed. Keith has announced he will be coming back as a judge but no word from the others. Not a surprise that Channel 4 stepped in. They've been buying all the Love Production competitions shows since they bought Bake Off. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

9 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

Looks like Channel 4 in the UK have picked this up. During the credits for bake off professionals they ran an ad looking for contestants to take part. 

YAY! I hope they don't mess with the show and just let it continue to be the same sweet show it's always been.

[rhys]

No.toilets.please

just a nice tea or coffee set ,k, thx!

[GaT]

On 6/13/2019 at 3:22 PM, Ceindreadh said:

Looks like Channel 4 in the UK have picked this up. During the credits for bake off professionals they ran an ad looking for contestants to take part. 

On 6/13/2019 at 5:03 PM, Athena said:

Confirmed. Keith has announced he will be coming back as a judge but no word from the others. Not a surprise that Channel 4 stepped in. They've been buying all the Love Production competitions shows since they bought Bake Off. 

YAY! I'm so happy! I really liked that show.

[Ceindreadh]

Just saw an ad for the new series, Wednesday 8th January on More 4 and will be streaming on All4.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Keith is the only one returning to the show. The new host is Melanie Sykes (she won star baker on the 2018 Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off) and the new judge is ceramicist Sue Pryke.

Meet the S3 contestants

Studio potter Jacob, 23, from Liverpool

Jacob has six years experience potting in Wirral where he grew up.

Born to a Chinese father and English mother, Jacob is the youngest of three siblings.

His work is influenced by his Chinese heritage and he draws from Chinese folktales, legends and mythical creatures, especially dragons.

*******************************************************

Warehouse operative Claire, 29, from Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

Claire has nearly a decade of experience and takes pride in the meticulous detail of her pots.

Born in Ballymena, by day she works as a warehouse operative in a local pottery supplies.

At night, she trains as a body builder and her dream is to be crowned Miss Universe.

******************************************************

Full-time mother Florence “Flea”, 33, from London

Growing up in London, Florence was immersed in the art world from an early age.

Now a mother-of-two, she used ceramics to overcome postnatal depression seven years ago.

She regularly forages for her own clay.

*******************************************************

Home potter Christian “Kit”, 19, from Cornwall

Christian’s first experience of pottery came on his 9th birthday and he was instantly hooked.

Born on his parents’ organic turkey farm in Cornwall, Christian enjoys music festivals and meeting people from outside of his Cornish bubble.

*******************************************************

Retired company director Leonard, 70, from Cornwall

Leonard learnt his pottery skills at Ealing College of Art in 1978.

Since moving to Cornwall from London to retire with his wife, he has rediscovered the skill.

Leonard is a keen open water swimmer and was regional scuba diving coach for the east of England.

*******************************************************

Professional cycling manager Matt, 30, from Greater Manchester

Matt grew up in Carnforth, Lancashire, and began a professional cycling career at the age of 17.

He rode for several English teams and competed in competitions such as the Tour of Britain and the Grand Prix de la Ville de Perenchies.

He ended his nine-year professional road cycling career in 2017 and now manages other riders.

*******************************************************

Full-time carer Rainna, 27, from Kent

Rainna grew up in Bow, east London, but moved to Kent when she was 14, where she began her love affair with potting.

She uses her whole house as a studio, including the kitchen and conservatory, but she can mainly be found throwing in a converted garden shed.

*******************************************************

Art college technician and part time tutor Ronaldo, 31, from London

Born in Barbados, Ronaldo spent most of his childhood in his parent’s pottery workshops.

He moved to London aged 19 and after receiving an injury started to pot as a form of physiotherapy.

*******************************************************

Full-time mother Rosa, 43, from Buckinghamshire

The former fashion designer was born in Copenhagen and lived on the island of Bornholm with her sister, mother and sculptor father from the age of 10.

She lives with her husband in the UK and practices pottery every day.

*******************************************************

Retired gift shop owner Rosalind, 59, from Essex

Rosalind spent most of her working life at markets and antique fairs finding items to sell in her shop.

Retired now, she lives with her husband, who keeps pigeons, in a Victorian house surrounded by nature.

*******************************************************

Craft assistant and illustrator Sampada “Sammie”, 26, from London

Born in Nepal, Sampada moved to London with her family aged seven and speaks five languages.

She runs a sewing and jewellery workshop for adults with learning difficulties and also works freelance on illustration commissions, designing websites and hosting life drawing sessions and pottery classes from her studio space.

*******************************************************

Composer and music teacher Tom, 39, from Sheffield

Tom, who plays the French horn, trombone and piano, describes himself as a “hummingbird” who is “forever trying to do three things at once”.

He started pottery three years ago after suffering a back injury, and enjoys creating unusual and even grotesque pots.

[GaT]

Can't wait to see this show again, the contestants made some amazing stuff.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E1: Breakfast Set & Egg Cups

Quote

Twelve of Britain's best home potters compete to be crowned best at the wheel.

Promo:

Original air date: 1/8/20

Edited January 9, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Yay, I'm so glad this show is back! And Rich the kiln guy!

What do the contestants do during the 24 hours when their pieces are drying and then fired in the kiln? Sleep? Go sightseeing?

Amid all the mentions of knobs and jugs (and demonstrations of pulling), Leonard won this week's inadvertently dirty quote: "It's tighter than I've ever had it. It's all the way down the shaft. It fits very well."

Honorable mention goes to Tom ("Can I get a little bit of the rougher stuff?") and Melanie ("No more cleaning your bottoms!").

I love watching Keith demonstrate. He always makes it look so easy. I do find it amusing that Keith is the sensitive one who cries when he sees what the contestants have made but he's also the one ruthlessly tossing in pieces from the throwdown into the reject pail. Wow, Flea made so many egg cups - she had an army of them! She had 20 left even after Keith chucked several of hers.

I love watching them trim their creations. It reminds me of watching people frost cakes. I find it so soothing.

Heh, I guess I'm a heathen since I don't have a breakfast set with a toast rack and matching cafetière.

Ronaldo's blue and white Barbados inspired set with coconut trees was simple but well executed.

Rosalind's chicken set was nice. I liked the blue trim at the tops of the pieces and the chickens were well done. And she got Keith to cry! But I did notice some bubbling on the surface which neither of the judges mentioned. The lid of the cafetière looked very thick and clunky.

Sammie's illustrated set was different which is what I liked most about it. I liked the face on top of the cafetière and the boat shaped toast rack.

I really liked the idea of Tom's musical set but the execution was a bit lacking. Sue said the cafetière was very heavy (which I believed because it looked very heavy). I really wanted the treble staff handle and the musical note toast rack to work but they didn't seem very functional. The eyes painted on the saucers cracked me up.

Flea's Moroccan inspired set was pretty (I liked the serene shade of blue she chose) so it was a shame about the bubbling. I liked that she also decorated the inner rim of the cafetière.

Matt's splattered set looked very modern (and the bubbling seemed to go together with that theme). I agreed that the handle on the cafetière seemed too thin. I’d be afraid of it breaking if I filled it to the top.

Rosa's floral set looked like something you'd find at a store with the flowers and the orange rim (which was a nice contrast) - inoffensive but a little boring. I liked the carousel toast holder.

Kit's blue and white Cornish crockery inspired looked a bit messy. I understand why he decided to freehand vertical stripes after he wasted all that time trying to get the tape on straight, but the paint job ended up looking clumsy.

Leonard's yellow and blue sailing inspired set was a nice idea. The bold design of the sail was very striking. I liked the tiny stripes on the toast holder.

Rainna's cogs and rivet steampunk set looked very messy and mismatched to me due to the brownish iron oxide she used on the cafetière. I liked the dark blue shade of the espresso cups.

Jacob's skyline set was so lovely. I liked the way he sponged layers of blue for an ombré effect.

Claire's lilypad set looked very clean. She definitely gets points for mixing her own glaze. The lilypad shaped espresso cups were a nice bit of originality.

Congratulations to Claire for winning! Not surprised that Tom was eliminated because he had a lot of issues with the main challenge. Maybe it's for the best since he had Keith crying on the first day before they had any judging!

Edited January 13, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[GaT]

So glad this show is back! The level of skill still amazes me, even when their work is bad, it's still pretty good. I had forgotten about Keith crying LOL, he's an emotional guy.

[rhys]

Flea??? Omgosh. Who names their kid that? I'm curious about her siblings.

Back to the show: loved the first event. Toss up, to me, between Claire & the skyline dude.

the bubbling thing was interesting to hear.

Edited January 11, 2020 by rhys

[GaT]

6 hours ago, rhys said:

Flea??? Omgosh. Who names their kid that? I'm curious about her siblings.

It's a nickname

https://www.mylondon.news/whats-on/whats-on-news/great-pottery-throw-down-florence-17511401

[Athena]

I love that this show is back. I've got my partner watching with me too now. I had to tell him that Keith cries at least once an episode. He started the series by crying twice. Gosh, I adore Keith. He appreciates the art form of pottery but I liked that the judges in the end sent Tom home because his set was not usable. There were too many mistakes in the form.

Rosalind is whimsically eccentric but like the judges, her design with the chickens was really nice. When she mentioned how she wasn't a thrower and more of sculptor, she underplayed how good she can be. I really liked Claire and Jacob's sets as well. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E2: Chess Set & Mini Vases

Quote

The potters are tasked with hand-building an elaborate chess set and throwing miniature vases.

Original air date: 1/15/20

[Aulty]

So glad this show is back. Keith is such a sweetie, the new judge is nice too and the new presenter is likeable aswell (loved the intro where she played the brass instrument - so quirky).

I've watched both episodes and Kit and Leonard were very lucky that they're still in the competition. I was surprised that they sent Sampada home in the second episode. The judges reasoning about her lack of understanding of 3D construction is valid, but so far Kit has not shown much beyond the simplest shapes either.

Loved what Clair, Flea and Matt have produced so far

[Athena]

Primetimer does not endorse or allow for sharing methods on "Flying to England". We know you do it but please don't discuss it publicly on the forums. Thank you. 

[Athena]

On 1/16/2020 at 1:26 PM, Aulty said:

I've watched both episodes and Kit and Leonard were very lucky that they're still in the competition. I was surprised that they sent Sampada home in the second episode. The judges reasoning about her lack of understanding of 3D construction is valid, but so far Kit has not shown much beyond the simplest shapes either.

I was frustrated with Kit these last two episodes. I know he's young but his cockiness in doing simple presentation irked me. He chided Sampada about not fettling enough since he spent most of the first part fettling his damn cylinders. His chess set was boring. Keith crying for him to do better meant Kit was going to stay. He is a great thrower from what we've seen, but he hasn't shown much creativity. I hope he does next episode or I'll wish him gone. 

Jacob's set was gorgeous. If he really is only starting with hand building, I wonder how good he can be with more experience. Incredible detail.

I continue to like quirky Rosalind. Her set was pure Victorian/Edwardian kitsch. It reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. I don't necessarily think I'd want to own something like that but there is something so beautiful and cozy about her style.

I also like Claire's set. She is very good. Matt showed a lot of talent this episode too. I liked when the contestants gave their pieces a base. There were issues with stability on a lot of the baseless ones and even with the ones who weren't wobbly, I'd expect they'd topple over easily. 

[GaT]

Melanie sure does have a lot of big, very white teeth, doesn't she?

As a miniatures collector, I wish we could have seen the minis after they were fired. 

Jacob put the most amazing detail into his chess set, he was the obvious winner. I thought Flea's was really beautiful, I loved her colors, but I was really disappointed by Rosa's. Her characters looked so wonderful, but the way she finished them made them lose all their detail & they looked more like blobs. Rosalind managed to make her detail even stronger with her finish, so it was such a shame to see Rosa's.

I was very surprised when Sampada got eliminated, I thought it was going to be Kit or Leonard.

Since I know nothing about making pottery, I wonder if Leonard could have just painted the last piece & let it get fired with the other pieces. Even if it got messed up, he would have the correct amount of pieces.

Claire is definitely looking like the frontrunner to me.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really enjoyed the miniatures throwdown. Those tiny little vases and bowls were so delicate. I loved watching the guest judge demonstrate. He made everything look so easy like it was no big deal to make this teeny vases.

Overall, Rainna and Jacob made my favorite vase sets. All three of Jacob's pieces looked great and I liked all the different colors he used. He was the only one to use five different colors. I also liked the different ways he used them (yellow just on the rim of the bowl, the way he gave the light pink an ombre look into the light green on the belly pot, and the neat little dots on the cylindrical vase). Even though Rainna only used two colors, the black was a bold contrast to the soft translucent blue. The combination was very striking and graphic. 

I also really liked Claire's set. They all looked very precise in shape and with the paint job. I liked the blue color that Flea used and she got the tiniest neck on narrow necked belly pot, but all three pieces looked so rough and messy on the bottoms of the sides.

All three of Kit's pieces looked messy to me too (both the execution as well as the painting). I think Matt won based on the narrow neck of his belly pot and the flange on his cylindrical vase.

Ronaldo's vases were decent but it looked like he duplicated the colors chosen by the guest judge and just called it a day. Rosalind's pieces were all way too thick and the painting was so sloppy. I really liked Sampada's use of the blue slip and the way she decorated her pieces. The bowl was definitely too thick though. Leonard's vases were okay but he definitely made them look messy at the bottom where he removed them. Rosa's shapes were okay but the decoration was boring.

In theory, the chess sets weren't necessarily difficult to make but there were so many different pieces and such a short amount of time to do them. On top of that, so many of them opted to do very detailed work.

Like Keith, I initially thought Matt's chess pieces looked like a bunch of rocks. Using the saws for texture was a great technique to show off the different glazes.

Rosa's set was detailed and whimsical. I loved the crowns that she added to the king and queen pieces. The little detail of the red lipstick and red shoes on the queen was fun.

Rainna's garden set was lovely. I really liked the different shapes she made. My only issue was with the snail pawns. Not only were they too small but I just didn't like them. Ha, I loved her explanation that she had made a rocking bird.

Ronaldo's Barbados inspired chess set was nice because the pieces were so uniform and they had such clean lines. I also liked that he used a bold opaque blue. My only issue was that they were too big.

Rosalind's pieces had a very Alice in Wonderland feeling. They were very detailed but she was able to do that because she made the molds at home.

Kit's set was way too simple. As Keith said, it was a bunch of tubes. Plus the decoration was so simple. Tape to make stripes? Seeing how simple both the form and the decoration were, it seems ludicrous that his set took the same amount of time to make as, say, Jacob's.

Claire's traditional chess set was great. I loved the shapes and the way she used the black and white paint. Take note, Kit - this is how you do simple without looking basic.

Flea's coral and seashell set was very feminine. Between the soft lines, the swirls that looked like soft serve ice cream, and the coral effect, everything looked like delicate art. But I agreed with the judges about the sharp edges because  a chess set is made to be touched and moved. It's not very practical if you have to be careful not to scratch yourself.

Leonard's set was a mess. If I didn't know his was a sea theme, I would have thought he had just made a bunch of blobs. The splodgy way he used the glaze looked messy/unfinished on thee green side.

Sampada's concept was a little bit too abstract. I agreed when the judges said that if you're not going to make a traditional chess set, you have to make it very clear which pieces are which and unfortunately she didn't do that. I think the other issue is that the round people she made were too similar to what she drew last week. I'm sure she's capable of drawing other shapes/figures but it made her look less creative for using the same thing two challenges in a row.

Jacob's dragon set was amazing. It was so detailed and I loved his use of glaze and color. It's even more impressive considering that he made these all by hand (unlike Rosa's premade molds). Each dragon and phoenix had so much character and personality in their faces.

I would have sent Kit or Leonard home instead of Sampada. Kit made the simplest shapes and had the simplest paint job. Leonard came in last in the throw down, was short one piece, and had unidentifiable blobs as his pieces.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E3: Raku Firing & Nerikomi

Quote

The remaining potters tackle raku firing, hand-build two animal figurines, and face the tricky ceramic technique of nerikomi

Original air date: 1/22/20

Edited January 25, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Aulty]

Loved this episode with the animals and the very interesting glazes. I really enjoy them bringing in other experts to guest judge the technical challenges - what a great way to highlight different styles and techniques.

Loved Rainna's penguins, the elephants, monkeys and the ducks!

Kit should have been out last week. I was really annoyed that he picked some style over substance concept again - I assume because he can't do a proper 3D sculpture - and when Keith said something he brushed it off with 'next week I am gonna show you what I can do' (or something like that).

Leonard needs to pull something out of the bag next week, he has been on thin ice since the beginning too. His fish where underwhelming.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Wow, that nerikomi technique looked like a lot of work. It was amazing to see how detailed the guest judge's patterns were versus the decidedly abstract (and honestly messy looking) creations that the contestants came up with. Most of them were very smeary and indistinct. It looked like it would be a fun technique to play around with though. It reminded me of those Italian millefiori beads. Kit continues to make the most boring choices possible.

I know they do raku every season but it still makes me nervous to watch. It's so risky because you never really know how a piece will look until it's done.

Jacob's foxes had so much personality. I loved the kit nuzzling into his mother. I really liked that he managed to make them seem like they were almost in motion. I felt so bad when the legs broke so I was relieved that he quickly came up with another plan.

Rosalind's arctic foxes had very expressive faces. She definitely took a risk with that paper stuffing technique. It worked but I wouldn't want a sculpture with a line showing where the animal had been deliberately decapitated in the process. The major issue I had was that she basically made the same sculpture twice. The only difference was the size. The poses were identical (sitting with their heads cocked at the same angle). Heh, as soon as Keith said they looked like corgis, I couldn't unsee it.

Leonard's fish were definitely colorful which was great. But overall his fish seemed a bit amateur and childish in execution. And I had the same complaint as I did with Rosalind's - he made two identical sculptures. One was bigger but there was no other difference. I know, I know, it's a fish so what are the possibilities? But he chose to do fish. He could have done one that was more curved in the body to make it look like it was swimming.

Flea's dove had a lot of texture that she carved into it. I liked the blue and white crackle. I appreciated that the dove and the baby bird were so different. I loved that the momma bird was feeding the baby bird.

The best thing about Ronaldo's monkeys was the stark contrast between the black faces/hands and the copper glaze on the bodies.

Claire's elephants looked great. I loved the texture of the skin. She took a lot of risk because of the legs and the ears. I felt so bad for her when she accidentally broke the tail while she was still at her work station.

Kit's rabbit's were way too simple. The judges tried to warn him when he was still sculpting that they looked very two dimensional aka flat. If you're going to do something simple, it has to be executed really well and this wasn't. I had to laugh when the female judge said that she was impressed because it was in pieces before. Well, you let them glue their pieces back together. What's so impressive about that? Kit is not imaginative enough. He takes no risks. He always finds the simplest thing to do and then he doesn't execute it well. He needs more experience.

Matt's geometric penguins were a risk because he went really abstract, but they were interesting. I liked the blue speckling that Keith pointed out.

Rainna's penguins were so graceful. I loved the smooth lines and curves. I loved the interaction between the mother and the baby. And I noticed that Rainna helped Matt when his piece had some cracks.

Thank goodness Kit was finally eliminated. There was a pretty big gap between what he has been creating and what everyone else has been making. Congratulations to Rainna!

[GaT]

Yeah, Kit needed to go, probably should have gone week one, he just didn't have the same skill level as the other potters.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

6 hours ago, GaT said:

Yeah, Kit needed to go, probably should have gone week one, he just didn't have the same skill level as the other potters.

It's pretty bad when someone is eliminated during the third week and he STILL obviously overstayed his welcome.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E4: Multi-Coloured Slip Cast & Blindfolded Throwing

Quote

The remaining potters face a multi-coloured slip cast challenge to make two vases, and a blindfolded throwing challenge to throw the widest bowl

Original air date: 1/29/20

Edited January 30, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Aulty]

Lovely episode - well done Claire! it paid off that she focussed on a very good finish. Rainna really highlighted this week why these low drama competition shows are so lovely: she  knew she didn't do well in the main challenge and was still the cheeriest, adorable person in the room. Even Leonard, who made a right meal of his vases didn't start moaning. Right decision to send him home though, the signs were there for a few weeks now.

Very impressive work from Jakob, Claire and Rosa. I liked Flea's concept but the finishing threw me off a bit. Ronaldo is constantly producing good stuff too even though this pieces were to similar in shape and size. Rosalinds were fun and although they aren't to my taste I know that there is a marked for this style - especially if they are owl or cat themed.

[GaT]

Another fascinating episode. I really don't know how they can design anything when they're never sure what color they're going to end up being. Sorry to se Leonard go, but he was the obvious choice, and Claire continues to look like the winner.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Although I get why slip casting is challenging, it wasn't the most interesting episode to watch because we didn't really get to see what was happening with their pieces until they were out of the molds.

I loved Jacob's and Flea's pieces. I also loved that Rainna just kept cheerfully plugging away even though she knew she wasn't doing well. Rosalind's owls were definitely not my taste but they were very striking.

I wasn't surprised that Leonard was eliminated. He's been plodding along, usually not that far ahead of Kit. He did well in some of the throw downs though, so I'll miss seeing that!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E5: Matching Lamp Bases & Ceramic Challenge

Quote

The remaining potters are challenged to build a pair of matching lamp bases and a guest judge sets them an emotional ceramic challenge.

Original air date: 2/5/20

[Aulty]

These contestants are so talented. I think all the lamps produced in this episode are very commercial.

Rosalind's sheep are ADORABLE and like her owls last week, she could make good money with those. IF they can be made in a mold she could turn them out in no time.

Rainna's idea was quite funny but the execution was lacking - the bonnet didn't sit corretly on the head. For a 'lightbulb moment' thinner fittings and differnt bulbs would have looked better. She is lagging a bit behind at the moment and needs to knock out something good next week.

Jakob's were stunning, a well deserved win! Poor Flea, it came down to technical execution with her pieces - as Keith said they just were too thick. But I thought they looked lovely, needed different shades though.

I liked Matt, Rosa and Ronaldo's fine. Ronaldo also needs to step it up now, he has good ideas but his finishing needs to be better. Claire won on precision, but the lamps weren't very creative.

[GaT]

I thought Rosalind's sheep should have won, they were awesome. Sorry to see Flea leave.

10 hours ago, Aulty said:

Ronaldo also needs to step it up now, he has good ideas but his finishing needs to be better. 

He just keeps scraping by every week, I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone next week.

[rhys]

I'm a knitter & I so want Rosalind's sheep lamps! They were terrific.

some potters could not pick correct shades or bulbs. Hmmmm.r

I didn't care for the print challenge.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The writing on pottery challenge seemed pretty weak for a throw down. Then again, as Cake Wrecks has taught us, some people aren't capable of writing simple words so I guess there's a minimal amount of skill involved.

Rosalind's sheep lamps were cute (very Shawn from Wallace and Gromit), but I feel like she creates molds at home for almost every challenge. The lacy shades matched the sheeps' knitting which was a cute touch. And the judges pointed out that her lamps were too small.

Rainna's wild west hats with the a-ha light bulbs on top were a fun idea in theory but the bonnet was completely off. It looked like a child's bonnet plopped onto an adult head. The brim seemed wrong too - it looked more like what you'd see on a baseball cap than a bonnet (my level of expertise in judging bonnets is based upon watching reruns of Little House on the Prairie so maybe I've got it all wrong). Similarly there was something off about the blue cowboy hat too and again I think it was the brim.

Claire's Grecian inspired lamps were identical but everything about them was boring for me - the shape, the color, the decoration.

Flea's seashell lamps were okay. I liked the curves but she definitely got demerits from the judges because they were too thick and exploded in the kiln (but I give her so much credit for gluing it back together and still having time to glaze both lamps). I also didn't like that the shells were highlighted with green.

Rosa's beach pebble lamps looked rough in shape and I wasn't crazy about the way she painted them.

Matt's lamps with the chattering were not my favorite. The shape was fine but I agreed that the long tall bulb was not the way to go.

Ronaldo's diamond lamps were SUCH a cool idea. I was disappointed that once again his execution let him down. I liked the shapes of his lamps.

Jacob's shipwreck lamps were a really interesting concept. I don't think I would personally have them in my living room, but I definitely see how they're a statement piece.

Yay for Jacob winning this week! He had a clear idea about what he wanted to do and he executed it really well. He was one of the only people to achieve that this week.

I thought Flea would make it close to the end so I was surprised that she was eliminated. Ha, I had to laugh at Rosa's description of Flea including "She's really polite."

If things go the same next week as they've gone for the rest of the season, Ronaldo will be the next to go home.

[Athena]

I feel like everything Rosalind has made so far would do well commercially. Her aesthetic can sometimes be niche Victorian, but she does it so well. Her style and technique is consistent. Some of the others have done more avant garde or modern style pieces which is great but not always super commercial. I think she could work in commercial ceramics after this or at least have a lot of clients. Claire is the other who is very consistent and has produced some interesting mainstream works. I like Jacob's style a lot as well but a lot of pieces always look more collector's items than the others. I mean this as a big compliment because I really liked his vases.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E6: Nude Greek Statues & Greek Jugs

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It's Greek Week, and the potters sculpt a nude Greek statue and throw Greek jugs at the wheel.

Original air date: 2/12/20

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Wow, a lot of people had problems with this challenge.

I knew Ronaldo was not going to do well when he said he wasn't going to bother with measurements and he was just going to go with the flow. Some people can do that but he is not one of those people. His sculpture was totally out of proportion. And even on his first attempt at the breasts which he said he downsized, they were still HUGE. On top of the sculpting issues, it wasn't nearly tall enough (44 vs the required 60). And the pose was totally different from the model's which seems like the least of all the concerns, but still.

Claire's ws also pretty awful. The arms were too thin, the hands were tiny, the ears were miniscule, the thighs were much too long/the knees were too low, and the head looked like a 20 something year old guy wearing a backwards baseball cap.

Rosa's had the right posture but the head was too small and the neck was too thick. I was just glad that she had something to show that was able to stand on its own after her near disaster. The main issue was that it was not the neoclassical style that was required.

Jacob's was the best male statue with the best proportions. The major fault was the height. Ha, I liked that he had a base to make up for the missing height but yeah, it wasn't tall enough.

Matt's looked like she was melting into the ground and the face was not great. Once again, the breasts were way too large. What is it with the male contestants giving their statues porn sized breasts?

After all those measurements that Rainna took, her statue didn't reflect that. The legs were noticeably too short.

Rosalind's had the best face. The draped fabric looked nice too.

I was surprised that the first tie for potter of the week was Rosa and Rosalind. I was also surprised that Rainna was eliminated instead of Ronaldo. And how did I just notice how many R names there were this season?

[Aulty]

ugh, that wasn't great, was it. That looked really difficult. The contestants on the Paiting challenge have quite a hard time drawing people too, I can't imagine how much harder it must be to actually sculpt a figure like that. Would it have been kinder to start them off with a bust?

The female model had great curves and while some potters got a good interpretation of her bum, the range of breasts they produced was quite entertaining. The best thing about Rosalind's statue were the shoulder blades.

I'm really sorry to see Rainna go, she lightened up the whole room, but she has had a couple of mediocre weeks already.

[Ceindreadh]

I loved Rosa’s reaction to winning. So often the ‘winner of the week’ is all shocked and can’t possibly believe it’s them, so it was nice to see her jubilant reaction.